What is it that holds me back, standing in the shadows, at the edge of the light? Is it fear that paralyzes, doubt that denies or pride that defies? Whatever it may be, Lord, help me to see, Your love is greater than these. Your faithfulness is deeper than the seas. Your grace has given me life, Now You want to end my strife. Lord, help my unbelief That keeps me in constant grief!
Help me, Lord!
February 26, 2008 at 7:16 pm (Uncategorized)
Tags: doubt, grace, grief, life, light, Lord, love, pride, shadows, strife, unbelief
God’s Grace
February 23, 2008 at 5:42 pm (Uncategorized)
Tags: condemnation, forgiven, free, gift, God, grace, love, mercy, victory
God’s grace is for everyone(Titus 3:11). God’s grace is free(Romans 11:6). God’s grace is a gift to be recieved(Ephesians 2:8). We cannot earn it and He does not owe us(Romans 3:23, 4:4). Grace is made available to us through God’s abundant mercy and His great love(Ephesians 2:4&5). How do you recieve God’s grace?
Confess you are a sinner and Jesus is your Lord and Savior (Rm 10:9)
Have faith that He is who He says He is(Romans 10:10-13).
Realize that you are truly forgiven and deeply loved(John 3:16-18, Eph2:4&5).
In Him there is no condemnation so you can live victoriously(Romans 8:1&2).
Show God’s grace and forgiveness to others(2 Corinthians 4:16).
Trust in Him even when you are reminded of your past and when others may not forgive you or accept your forgiveness(2 Peter 1:3-11).
It is through Christ we recieve God’s grace! Call on His name, He will not turn you away and that is God’s gift of grace.
Love is…
February 14, 2008 at 7:26 pm (Uncategorized)
Tags: choice, confidence, envy, fear, God, Jesus, patient, perfection, prayer, propitiation, proud, punishment, sacrifice, self-seeking, Spirit, true love, truth, Valentine's
“Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It is not rude, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perserveres. Love never fails.” 1 Corinthians 13:4-8 “Dear friends, let us love one another, because love is from God, and everyone who loves has been born of God and knows God. The one who does not love does not know God, because God is love. God’s love was revealed among us in this way: God sent His One and Only Son into the world so that we might live through Him. Love consists of this: not that we loved God, but that He loved us and sent His Son to be the propitiation for our sins. Dear friends, if God loved us in this way, we must also love one another. No one has ever seen God. If we love one another, God remains in us and His love is perfected in us. This is how we know that we remain in Him and He in us: He has given to us from His Spirit. And we have seen and we testify that the Father has sent the Son as Savior of the world. Whoever confesses that Jesus is the Son of God-God remains in him and he in God. And we have come to know and to believe the love that God has for us. God is love, and the one who remains in love remains in God, and God remains in him. In this, love is perfected with us so that we may have confidence in the day of judgement; for we are as He is in this world. There is no fear in love; instead, perfect love drives out fear, because fear invloves punishment. So the one who fears has not reached perfection in love. We love because He first loved us.” 1 John 4:7-19 My prayer this Valentine’s Day is that you may know true love. Not the kind found in cheap romance novels or the kind conjured up on a movie screen. It is not the “love” you recieve only when you have been good enough or look a certain way. The love i desire for you will never fade or change from day to day. True love comes from above and from that love came great sacrifice. God is love and Jesus was the sacrifice. He loved you even before time began and He gave His Son to die that you could know Him. To know Him is to know true love. He wants to shower you with love but He will not force it upon you. The choice is yours. Will you seek Him today? If you do He promises to be found. Then you will know true love and He will perfect His love in you.
To Jeremy on Valentine’s Day
February 14, 2008 at 6:08 pm (Uncategorized)
Jeremy, All you asked of me this Valentine’s Day is that i would make time to be with you. There is no better gift you say. So you presented me with a gift which requires our time together each day in the presence of the One who brought us together and makes our love grow stronger. The card you gave me expressed your thankfulness to the Lord for His goodness to us. It goes on to say that He is worthy of our praise. What you ask of me and the gifts you give me tell so much about you and why i love you. You are a man who values the ones you love more than you love worldly valuables. You love your God and realize the importance of gratitude. You praise Him because you know His great love. There is so much more i love about you, like the way you encourage me and the support you show me. I love the way you make me feel and how you make me laugh. I also love that you listen to me when i just need to be heard. The longer we are together the more i love you but the greatest thing about your love is that you allow God to love me through you! Thank you for being my Valentine, Jeremy. Love, Charis
My Story (so far)
February 10, 2008 at 9:33 pm (Uncategorized)
Tags: anger, anxiety, burden, Celebrate Recovery, church, depression, disappointments, fears, forgiveness, God, grace, groups, healing, heartbreaks, Jesus, regrets, share, step study, testimony
The purpose of Mosaic of Grace is to encourage and inspire. It is also meant to point all who come here to the saving grace of the One who encourages and inspires me- my Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. When i started this blog i felt God had given me a place where i could be open and honest. With that in mind i knew the day would come when He wanted me to remove my mask completely and share what only He could give me the courage to share. This is that day and this is my story.
I am at the church i am today because of a program it offers called Celebrate Recovery. It was CR that brought me through the doors two years ago. The place was so big and intimidating that first time but the burden i carried was too heavy to bear any longer. God knew the fear i was struggling with and put someone there to greet me, help me with the kids and sit with me through the meeting. We started with worship and testimony then split up into small groups. It was in this small group that i realized i was not alone. All the anxiety, depression, anger, and fear i had felt for so many years were expressed by other women as they shared. These things manifested themselves in various ways throughout the lives of each lady but the feelings of loneliness and shame were the same. Through CR we had found a safe place to bare our hearts and to be embraced by others who struggled as well. These Tuesday night meetings became the highlight of my week.
When sign ups were announced for a ladies twelve step study i immediately added my name to the list and it didn’t take long for others to do the same. The study started in January 2007. Over the next couple of months our large group dwindled down to six. With the help of our fearless leader we all got down to the nitty gritty. We shared laughter and tears along with our disappointments, regrets and heartbreaks. Bonds were formed and strengthened as the time progressed. Healing and forgiveness flowed. God’s grace saved us and changed us. From this experience a sisterhood emerged and from this sisterhood stand six women who are eager to help others. We realize that God does not waste a hurt. For that we are very grateful. Though the study ended last month, the story continues as does the transformation in each of our lives. Thank you for allowing me to share my story with you and rest assured there is more to come… “The Spirit of the Sovereign Lord is upon me, because the Lord has appointed me to bring good news to the poor. He has sent me to comfort the brokenhearted and to announce that captives will be released and prisoners will be freed. He has sent me to tell those who mourn that the time of the Lord’s favor has come, and with it, the day of God’s anger against their enemies. To all who mourn for Israel, He will give beauty for ashes, joy instead of mourning, praise for despair. For the Lord has planted them like strong and graceful oaks for His own glory.” Isaiah 61:1-3
What is Your Name?
February 6, 2008 at 9:43 am (Uncategorized)
Tags: charis, forgiveness, frustration, God, good will, grace of speech, judgement, loving-kindness, mercy, patience
Since changing my name to Charis, God has made me more aware of the grace that i show others. I believe that was His intent all along. Allow me to give the definition of charis one more time: charis-grace, grace of speech, good will, loving-kindness and thanks. That is why i love the name. These are the very traits i’ve always wanted to posess. So Charis is more than a name to me, it is a way of life. Now, when the spirit of judgement clouds my view; God whispers in my ear, “What is your name?”. It doesn’t take long for the condescending thoughts to disappear. I ask His forgiveness and He redirects my thinking. Mercy replaces judgement. When my children try my patience, as they often do, and i feel the frustration building; God is in my ear again, “What is your name?”. Sometimes i speak before i think and say things i have to go back and ask forgiveness for-from God and the children. Sometimes i pout, “But God…”. Either way i know He is right and i thank Him for reminding me that my name is cHarIS!
A Confession
February 4, 2008 at 9:22 pm (Uncategorized)
Tags: Afghanistan, Chad, confession, current events, discomfort, faithful, God, internet, Iraq, Kenya, newspaper, rebuke, suffering, television, terror, world
I have a confession to make: I am almost clueless about the current events around the world. I do not watch the news. Whatever i do know i get from the newspaper or the internet. Reading about places i have never been about names i cannot pronounce overwhelms me. What i do understand breaks my heart. This has been my excuse for not digging deeper-it just hurt too much! But now God is calling me to task. He has reminded me of my prayer that my heart would be broken for the things that break His heart. This gentle rebuke also reminds me that i must not give up when the hurt is so great because God has not given up. If He had, things would be so much worse. So whether it is a situation in Iraq or Afghanistan, unrest in Chad or violence in Kenya i will keep myself informed despite my own discomfort. When i think of the terror and suffering of the people in places such as these i feel really foolish for being so selfish but God is faithful to forgive me as i repent and He tells me to be faithful in prayer for the world around me. “Remember the prisoners, as though you were in prison with them, and the mistreated, as though you yourselves were suffering bodily.” Hebrews 13:3
Where’s The Grace?
February 3, 2008 at 9:09 pm (Uncategorized)
Tags: Britney Spears, celebrities, compassion, devil, fame, God, grace, Hollywood, judgemental, love, opinions, rumors, shame, wealth
“Judge not, that you not be judged. “For with what judgement you judge, you will be judged; and with the measure you use, it will be measured back to you.” Matthew 7:1&2 It seems the whole world is watching as Britney Spear’s life is spinning out of control. Wherever she goes cameras flash and rumors fly. Her self-destructive behavior is seen on television and documented in magazines. Everyone has an opinion about the troubled young star and her fragile mental state. Our opinions really don’t matter because most of us do not know her and a lot of us are just being judgemental. In our self-righteous arrogance we assume Britney Spears is the devil personified but we need to remember that she is not the enemy(Eph. 6:12). She is human like the rest of us and so are the other celebrities we delight in condemning. They all have regrets, fears and anxieties like we do but the difference is that their indescretions are broadcasted for everyone to see. Is it because of our anonymity that we forget our own shame and are so quick to point out the shame of those who are famous? As Christians, this should not be so. While we do not dwell on our past shame we do live in the grace God showed us when we repented and continues to show us everyday. We are to also show that same grace to others(Col. 4:5&6) even those in Hollywood. We know that what they seek in wealth and fame can only be found in Him but how are they to know it if we are not showing His love and compassion towards them? Too many have already died in hopelessness and shame. So instead of watching their demise let us pray for their healing and redemption. “Therefore I exhort first of all that supplications, prayers, intercessions, and giving of all thanks be made for ALL men. For this is good and acceptable in the sight of God our Savior, who desires ALL men to be saved and come to the knowledge of the truth.” 1 Timothy 2:1,3&4
I Miss You
February 2, 2008 at 9:23 am (Uncategorized)
Tags: aisle, altar, choir, church, music, sermon, service
I missed you in church today. I was there but you did not see me. I called out to you but you did not hear me. You were rushed when you came in and continued to fret as you took a place in the pew. The music started but it was too loud for your taste. The choir wasn’t loud enough and the songs were either too fast or too slow. The woman in front of you clapped her hands out of sync. The man behind you sang off key. You forced a smile as you shook the hands of those nearby but you did not notice the small hand of the little boy who stood by your side. The sermon was too long and the preacher was too dry. Sniffs from across the aisle annoyed you but what you did not know was that they came from a couple weeping together over the words of hope that you were too distracted to hear. The invitation was given and you studied your watch. Your stomach was growling and all you could think about was lunch. So you did not see the woman in front of you and the man behind you go forward. You wished the boy beside you would be still and stop whispering to his parents. When he was still and quiet you didn’t even realize he and his parents had gone forward too. The couple across the aisle also got up and walked hand in hand toward the altar. They all saw me and heard me but you did not. The service ended and you hurried out the door to your car and on your way. Are you missing me like I am missing you today?
Where Would You Be?
February 1, 2008 at 8:57 pm (Uncategorized)
Tags: Christ, desperation, drug, eternity, free, God's grace, grave, Heaven, Son, world
“Therefore if the Son makes you free, you shall be free indeed.” John 8:36 Where would you be if the love of Christ had not set you free? On your knees, in the dark, groping for a drug, a bottle or some other destructive vice… Crying out in desperation only to hear your own mournful pleas echoed back… Searching in places you should not be for something you do not need… Or would you already be in that cold, dark place beyond the grave; eternally seperated from God’s grace? Where are you now that Christ’s love has set you free? On your knees in His light, reaching out for His outstretched hand… Crying out for those who are desperate to hear His voice… Searching the places He sends you to tell others of the One to meet their need… And pointing them to Heaven above where they can spend eternity in God’s love if they accept His grace? The love of Christ has set you free indeed. Now share that love with the world in need. “For though I am free from all men, I have made myself a servant to all, that I might win the more;” 1 Corinthians 9:19
